Claypot chicken rice
Photo: Bawani Sri Jayaveeran · CC BY-SA 4.0

Rice cooked to order in a clay pot over charcoal with marinated chicken, Chinese sausage and salted fish, finished with dark soy. The prize in Kuala Lumpur is the crisp crust at the bottom.

Claypot chicken rice is a Cantonese one-pot dish that Kuala Lumpur hawkers made their own by cooking each pot to order over charcoal. Raw rice goes into a glazed clay pot with stock, and marinated chicken, lap cheong sausage and salted fish are laid on top once the rice is half cooked, so the juices soak in. Dark soy and lard or sesame oil go in at the end, and the pot stays over the heat long enough to form a caramelised crust. Foong Lian in Pudu and the Jalan Ipoh shop cook each pot to order, which is why the wait is part of the meal.

2 editor picks for Claypot chicken rice in Kuala Lumpur, ranked by editorial score. All Kuala Lumpur signature dishes · Claypot chicken rice across every city.

Jalan Ipoh Claypot Chicken Rice ★ 4.1

$Claypot riceJalan Ipoh

Jalan Ipoh Claypot Chicken Rice, an unnamed stall on Jalan Batu Ambar in Taman Kok Lian, Kuala Lumpur, cooks each claypot to order over charcoal.

OrderCharcoal claypot chicken rice with Chinese sausage and salted fish.

TipAsk for salted fish mixed into the rice; it adds an aroma the plain chicken version lacks entirely.

Foong Lian Claypot Foods Cafe ★ 4.1

$Claypot ricePudu

Foong Lian Claypot Foods Cafe has cooked charcoal claypot chicken rice on Jalan Yew in Pudu, Kuala Lumpur, since 1986, prized for its smoky rice crust.

OrderOrder the claypot chicken rice, cooked over charcoal for a smoky crust on the rice.

TipQueues form at peak hours, so arrive near the 11:30 opening; the owners run a list of dining rules to seat people fast.

Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide

Claypot chicken rice makes more sense with someone from Kuala Lumpur explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.

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